I think my kid broke me. Or, at the very least, my ability to sleep peacefully for extended periods of time.
Though he's been "sleeping like a baby" through the night for quite some time, I find myself having the same "red light, green light" sleep cycles that began when he was just a tiny thing that needed tending to in the middle of the night. If I'm not waking up to take a peek at the monitor, I'm tossing and turning because I'm: hot, uncomfortable, unable to shut my mind off, have to go to the bathroom, having nightmares, distracted by sounds outside, etc. etc. etc.
Stress makes matters worse for me, especially in the dream department. I have always had VERY vivid dreams. Vivid to the point that sometimes I wake up and feel like I lived a second life during the hours I should have been snoozing.
Last week I started the daunting task of researching all of the whos/whats/whys/hows that come with the structural and design changes I hope to make to the blog soon, and those stressy thoughts leached their way into my subconscious. Whenever I'm feeling "out of control" in real life, I have tidal wave dreams. Usually the waves come as I watch them from a sound, anchored structure, but last week's monstrous swells came while I was on a cruise ship with no land in sight. {Also, it kind of makes me never want to take a cruise again.}
It's hard to sleep peacefully when you're dreaming about being battered around on the open seas.
Anyway, restless nights make for exhausting mornings. It's true that coffee is usually the only thing that interests me immediately after I get out of bed, but a nice breakfast is always a good follow up once I'm a little more awake. It's even better if I don't have to do to much to get it ready.
These Flax Pancakes with Banana-Coconut Compote are easy to make, and can even be made ahead of time and frozen so that you can have a luxurious weekend-style breakfast any day of the week.*
The lovely folks at Barlean's sent the members of Stonyfield's Clean Plate Club some of their great products to try out this month, and I have to say that their coconut oil and flax chia coconut blend worked perfectly in these pancakes. I loved the way they turned out hearty {yet fluffy} with the combination of white and whole wheat flours and the addition of the ground flax blend. I used Stonyfield's Whole Milk Greek Yogurt in place of the traditional buttermilk, and it gave them just the right amount of rise and tang.
Any time I smell coconut, I immediately think of palm trees and island-type things, so naturally I topped these babies with something that tasted equally as tropical. Each forkful is like a beach vacation for your taste buds. {Something I definitely wouldn't mind waking up to, even after catastrophic nightmares.}
Maybe one day I'll sleep deeply again, but for now, I'll settle for these pancakes -- truly a dream. :)
Flax Pancakes with Banana-Coconut Compote
Pancakes adapted from King Arthur Flour, Compote adapted from BlogHer
Yields about 20 pancakes
For Banana-Coconut Compote
2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons Barlean's Coconut Oil
4 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
1. Add all ingredients except for coconut flakes to a saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently to combine.
2. Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for about 7-8 minutes until the banana softens and begins to break down and the sauce thickens a bit.
3. Stir in coconut flakes and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Set aside until ready to use.
For Pancakes:
Butter, coconut oil or non-stick spray for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup Barlean's Flax Chia Coconut Blend
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs
2 tablespoons Barlean's Coconut Oil, melted
3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons Stonyfield Whole Milk Greek yogurt**
3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons water or milk
1. In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients to combine.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until well blended
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined {don't over-mix}.
4. Meanwhile, heat pan, skillet or griddle over medium heat and add butter or oil to lightly coat. Scoop pancake batter {about 1/4 cup for each pancake} onto skillet, and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the edges set and the bubbles that form on the batter begin to pop. Flip and cook for another minute or two until puffed and golden. Repeat until all batter is used.
Serve with Banana-Coconut Compote and serve hot.
Notes:
* To make pancakes ahead, simply prepare and cook them as you normally would, cool completely and then place them on parchment-lined baking sheet -- side by side, not stacked so they don't fuse together -- in the freezer. Once frozen, place them in zip-top freezer bags. Remove as many as you need in the morning and reheat in the microwave, oven or even toaster.
**You can substitiute 1 3/4 cups plain, regular style yogurt in place of Greek + milk.
If you want to a stronger coconut flavor in your pancakes, you can add a tablespoon of unsweetened coconut flakes or 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract.
